History VideoGame / MaxGentlemenSexyBusiness

The original game was released via Steam on February 25, 2020. A substantial content update called "The British are COMING" was initially announced for Fall of that year, but was delayed due to [[UsefulNotes/COVID19 the Coronavirus pandemic]]. The story has a [[JustForPun happy ending]], though, as "The British are COMING" eventually grew into a fully-fledged free expansion that was made available to all owners of the base game on October 12, 2021.

* WorldOfWeirdness: The Victorian Era presented in-game is roughly on-par with Radio/BleakExpectations for sheer madcap insanity. Among other things: the occult and the supernatural exist comfortably with SteamPunk inventions, hostile takeovers are accomplished by duking it out in the town square till one side's employees and CEO are all dead and bankrupted, and there are such fascinating wildlife as invisible lobsters and an all-seeing cephalopod appropriately named the "Panoptipus".

* SpotOfTea: Naturally enough for a game all about playing with traditional British stereotypes, one of the lunch date options has your character making tea for their date. The aim is to get the right combination of leaf (black, green, or herbal), strength (mild, average, or strong), and sweetener (milk, sugar, or unsweetened) through an iterative process of guessing and elimination. It can also make for some truly ''disgusting'' sounding cups of tea.

** Fanny Shufflebottom's lack of social filter means that she makes no attempt to hide her attraction to Battle Butler, who she can serenade with a stream of frankly filthy (but all very well-meaning) propositions every time he's in the room, even as she romances the player character at the same time. [[spoiler:On her final date with the OptionalSexualEncounter, the player has the option to invite Battle Butler along too.]]

* {{Polyamory}}: It's pretty clear that relationship exclusivity isn't a big deal in this world, and indeed if anything it's ''harder'' to play your character as monogamous. The 2.0 update removes any ambiguity by making it clear that each of your execs is involved with at least a couple of your other board members as well as with you, and would be open to dating just about ''any'' other named character under the right circumstances. Furthermore, the closest thing to an endgame date in the game's "true" ending path actively requires you to pick ''two'' characters to bring along with you (although how you select them is up to you, and you can just as easily pick characters you're platonic with if you prefer).

* {{Polyamory}}: It's pretty clear that relationship exclusivity isn't a big deal in this world, and indeed if anything it's ''harder'' to play your character as monogamous. The 2.0 update removes any ambiguity by making it clear that each of your execs is involved with at least a couple of your other execs as well as you, and would be open to dating just about ''any'' other named character under the right circumstances. Furthermore, the closest thing to an endgame date in the game's "true" ending path actively requires you to pick ''two'' characters to bring along with you (although how you select them is up to you, and you can just as easily pick characters you're platonic with if you prefer).

* {{Polyamory}}: It's pretty clear that relationship exclusivity isn't a big deal in this world, and indeed if anything it's ''harder'' to play your character as monogamous. The 2.0 update removes any ambiguity by making it clear that each of your execs is involved with at least a couple of your other execs as well as you, and would be open to dating just about ''any'' other named character under the right circumstances. Furthermore, the closest thing to an endgame date in the game's "true" ending path actively requires you to pick ''two'' characters to bring along with you.

* SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity: In the 3rd and final run of the game, Angel immediately joins your pool of executives while giving you the Bottled Synergy asset, reducing much of the micromanaging of recruiting employees and having to train both your executives' Fisticuffs and Moustache for hostile takeovers. You also get Cashious for free after you beat the 1st district. After these three perks, you will be ''immediately'' assaulted by the run's new difficulty mechanics, such as the Taxes mechanic, buildings that require you to sacrifice your executive's stats, "Traits" for business rivals that add an element of strategy and challenge aside from raw numbers, and of course, ghosts and having to banish them with the use of the new Temple building.

* HeelFaceDoorSlam: At the end of the game, [[spoiler:Cashious attempts to apologize for all his antagonizing and scheming, only to end up dragged to what appears to be Hell by mysterious forces.]]

* MultipleEndings: One of the features stated to have been added in [[https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/817840/view/3005581668801659464 the Version 2.0 "The British Are Coming" expansion]] is a "Secret Ending! Shhhh.", separate from the regular ending (or the CliffHanger endings for the first two runs).

* RealityEnsues:
** In spite of the game's gleeful absurdity most of the time, attempting to acquire a banana for an occult ritual of Vicki Lestrange's is ''much'' more difficult than it sounds. As she explains herself, if this were the modern age with global supply chains, it would be easy as going to the store, but the game is set in Victorian-era London where bananas could take ''months'' to get to the mainland from the tropics, and its only your character's unusually high luck that you get an opportunity to acquire one.
** When Antoine Hardmeat tries to give you legal advice during a sham trial, all his work gets soundly thrown out when the judge points out he's a law firm owner, not an actual ''lawyer''.

* SteamPunk: Downplayed for the most part. Traveling cross-country is done via trains then steam-powered dirigibles, some characters have steam-powered cars, and the Futurist Society is absolutely certain SteamPunk will dominate the world, but quite a lot of characters still travel primarily via horse-drawn carriage, servants are still flesh-and-blood and many other technologies are relatively accurate to the Victorian period, such as wood-and-sail ships for large-scale cargo transport.

The original game was released via Steam on February 25, 2020. A substantial content update called "The British are COMING" was initially announced for Fall of that year, but was delayed due to [[UsefulNotes/COVID19 the Coronavirus pandemic]]. The story has a [[JustForPun happy ending]], though, as "The British are COMING" grew into a fully-fledged free expansion that was eventually made available to all owners of the base game on October 12, 2021.

The original game was released on February 25, 2020. A substantial content update called "The British are COMING" was initially announced for Fall of that year, but was delayed due to [[UsefulNotes/COVID19 the Coronavirus pandemic]]. The story has a [[JustForPun happy ending]], though, as "The British are COMING" grew into a fully-fledged free expansion that was eventually made available to all owners of the base game on October 12, 2021.

* BaitAndSwitchLesbians: {{Parodied}}. Summer Starling's route reveals that she was separated from her first love, Mercedes, when Mercedes's brother objected to their relationship and had Summer banished. [[spoiler:Then it turns out that Mercedes was her next door neighbour's dog, and Summer was just sent to an expensive finishing school by her parents.]]
** [[spoiler:Although technically [[BestialityIsDepraved Summer never actually backtracks on/clarifies her apparently very romantic feelings for Mercedes]] after the reveal...]]
* BigBad: Initially, your customizable rival is the overarching villain, being a mirror of your protagonist's incredible skills, attractiveness, charisma, and business acumen, with [[EvilTwin Evil Twins]] of your executives, to boot. By the second run, however, you find out [[GreaterScopeVillain a much worse problem]], with the rival DemotedToDragon.

* CliffHanger: The first two victories of the game both end with one: the first with the reveal of [[GreaterScopeVillain the new villain]], and the second [[spoiler:with your loan shark betraying you, and the protagonist being arrested and put into Cashious' care]].

%%* TheManBehindTheMan: TheRival seems like the main antagonist up until you first defeat them, at which point it turns out they were working for [[spoiler:Cashious Villionaire]] all along.

* BloodyHilarious: As part of Vlad Nibblesome's research into the nature of love, he (illegally) exhumes the body of a heartbroken man who recently poisoned himself in his grief. The resulting autopsy with the protagonist has so many potential avenues to get ''extremely'' messy, with the both of them being more bothered by their stained clothes and the lack of good data more than the corpse desecration and the gore.

* MoodWhiplash: The scene where Cashious has captured [[spoiler:Business Maid and Battle Butler]] and is forcing you to [[SadisticChoice decide which one will be dropped to their death]] is played 100% seriously [[spoiler:until Cashious reveals that the victim has been dropped onto some rubber cliffs, and is being attacked by [[ThreateningShark sharks]] with rubber dentures.]]

* SantaAmbiguity: One of your potential executives to hire/romance is Sinterklass, who's got a Santa-esque look and enjoys charity, but denies living for hundreds of years or owning a flying sleigh.

* ArchnemesisDad: In the penultimate date for [[spoiler:Pip Whipple]], it turns out their father was behind recent tragic events, with his motivation being [[spoiler:to give his daughter a fun mystery to solve that kinda spiraled out of control when the actor playing the victim accidentally died]].

* BigBad: Initially, your customizable rival is the overarching villain, being a mirror of your protagonist's incredible skills, attractiveness, charisma, and business acumen, with [[EvilTwin Evil Twins]] of your executives, to boot. By the second run, however, you find out a much worse problem:

* CliffHanger: The first two victories of the game both end with one: the first with the reveal of the new villain, and the second [[spoiler:with your loan shark betraying you, and the protagonist being arrested and put into Cashious' care]].

%%* TheManBehindTheMan:

** BiggerBad: [[spoiler:Cashious Villionaire]], who is out to get your family for a generations-long feud. [[spoiler:Or so he believes, anyway...]]

* CliffHanger: The first two victories of the game both end with one: the first with the reveal of the BiggerBad, and the second [[spoiler:with your loan shark betraying you, and the protagonist being arrested and put into Cashious' care]].

* MacGuffin: The [[spoiler:Sanctus Lapis Fortunum]], introduced at the start of the second run, and coveted by the BiggerBad. Its two effects are [[spoiler:giving the wielder supernaturally good luck]] and also [[spoiler:controlling minds and forcing people to act against their wills.]]
* TheManBehindTheMan: TheRival seems like the main antagonist up until you first defeat them, at which point it turns out they were working for the BiggerBad all along.

** When Antoine Hardmeat tries to give you legal advice during a sham trial overseen by the BiggerBad, all his work gets soundly thrown out when the judge points out he's a law firm owner, not an actual ''lawyer''.

** The end of the first victorious run where it's revealed that your rival is working for the BiggerBad, [[spoiler:Cashious Villionaire]], who both bankrupts you again and reveals a secret ploy to steal the MacGuffin from your family estate.

** Antoine Hardmeat has a tendency to throw himself into Battle Butler's arms during moments of distress. Unlike most of the other instances on this list it's never explicitly made into a sexual thing, but considering the nature of the game you don't have to squint too hard to make out the implications. [[spoiler:As with Fanny above, you can include Battle Butler in your OptionalSexualEncounter with Antoine.]]